Congratulations Class of 2024!

Jun

2024

Scenes from Commencement. Photos by Karen Tapia, Greg Andersen and UCI photographers.

More than 1,300 School of Social Ecology students graduate

More than 1,300 cap- and gown-clad School of Social Ecology students were celebrated at commencement ceremonies on Father’s Day, including a large number who had been denied in-person graduation celebrations from their high schools due to the global pandemic four years ago.

Following the addresses by UCI Provost Hal Stern, Archivist of the United States and keynote speaker Colleen Shogan and student Dulce Perez Zavala during the first of two commencement ceremonies on June 16, School of Social Ecology Dean Jon Gould said, “This comes to my favorite part of the ceremony, and I suspect what you’ve all been waiting for. Just from a show of hands, how many of our graduates missed out on a high school graduation because of the pandemic?”

Most in the Bren Events Center section for the honored students raised their hands.

“Well, this is our chance to make it up to you,” Gould informed. “Each one of you is going to get a chance to come on stage. Families and friends, we expect you to cheer madly when your graduate comes across the stage. We want to send them out with congratulations for what they deserve for having gotten to this place.”

That brought loud applause from the students and their families and friends in the arena, where Gould had received a similar reception for saying, “Believe it or not, for the Class of 2024 across UCI, we are holding 12 different ceremonies this week, celebrating and recognizing over 11,030 students who earned graduate and undergraduate degrees during this past academic year. That’s a lot, but the best are right here in Social Ecology.”

The second commencement’s student speaker, social ecology major Bella Engalla, also touched on the challenge of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Here I stand before you, a proud product of UCI's nurturing spirit, surrounded by mentors who have illuminated my path,” she said. “Our class, having navigated the uncharted waters of a global pandemic, knows a thing or two about resilience. We’ve learned that adversity isn’t a roadblock but a stepping stone, spurring us on to growth and greater heights”

Engalla continued, “Each of us carries a unique story, a rich tapestry of trials, triumphs, and transformation. Our time at the UCI School of Social Ecology has shaped us into formidable forces ready to tackle the world’s challenges with courage, creativity, and an unyielding zeal for progress. As we stand on the brink of our next great adventure, let us hold tight to the lessons of resilience, the courage to chart our own paths and embrace the wholly unexpected, and the profound truth that our greatest achievements lie in the lives we touch and the change we inspire.”

Zavala, who earned her B.A. in criminology, law & society and psychological science despite having been an undocumented, first-generation college student, told the packed house how she first walked onto the UCI campus “believing that I lived in an almost perfect world, where the justice system was infallible, in which the laws were perfectly written and enforced, a place in which we could easily make a change by simply following the rules.”

Her social ecology coursework and field study at the National Registry of Exonerations – a project of UCI’s Newkirk Center for Science and Society and the law schools of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University – dispelled such notions.

“As I walk across this stage, I am confident that I have found the power to use my voice and speak up against the injustices that I see in my community,” she said. “I am confident to tell my story and that of my family. I am a first generation student, daughter of immigrant parents who started from nothing and worked hard to give me everything that I needed to succeed here at UCI. Gracias mama y papa! Being a first generation student, came with many challenges because I didn’t know how to apply for financial aid, I didn’t know how to navigate housing, I didn’t even know how to pick my classes, and two years into my college experience I realized I even picked the wrong major. In the moment, it seemed like there was no way out, and while it may be all but a blur now, the only thing I can remember was my mom telling me ‘Tu Puedes’ meaning ‘You can do it’ and I did. Granted it was because of their support and because I found a community here at UCI that supported me through it all.”

The transformation from the people they were upon arriving at UCI to who they are now as graduates had been referenced earlier by Provost Stern.

“You are not the same person that you were when you started,” he said. “You’ve been challenged in your classes and in your conversations with friends to accept, understand and challenge different points of view. This has long been an important part of the college experience. The term ‘graduation’ refers to receiving your degree, and thus largely ending one part of your path. But we use the term ‘commencement’ for the celebration today because it is also a beginning. You will head on to the next phase of your life — a job for some, graduate school for others, a different adventure for others still. I hope you will do what you can to make the world a better place.”

Shogan, whose office has been front of mind because of the government documents controversy surrounding former president Donald Trump, urged the graduating Anteaters to play whatever roles they can to ensure America’s democracy remains strong.

“I challenge you to live an active life for democracy, not a passive one,” she said. “Hold our appointed and elected leaders, including me, accountable for their actions, and use the records we hold in trust at the National Archives to do so. And, when opportunities to lead knock on your door, don’t be afraid to answer the call — even if it means taking a risk or sacrificing short-term gains.”

Engalla is ready to take up the challenge, based on her words near the end of her address: “Our journey together may be drawing to a close, but our individual stories are just getting started. As we leap into our next chapters, let our hearts be full of courage and unshakable resilience, fortified by the bonds we’ve formed, the lessons we’ve learned, and the unwavering faith in our capacity to discover the light, beauty, and possibilities in a world that might sometimes appear to be without them.”

This year’s graduates include 1,165 with bachelor’s degrees, 137 with master’s degrees and 42 with doctoral degrees. Among them are 14 who graduated with high academic honors and scores of award winners, including:

Leen Saeed A Alharbi, Advanced Field Study Program
Dylan Tatsuya Ando, Dean’s Scholar Award, Outstanding Contribution to the Community, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology, Social Ecology Honors Program
Katelyn Aoki, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Kristy Aviles, Excellence in Field Study
Kimberly Gisel Brake Ayon, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
David Baek, Social Ecology Honors Program, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research, president of both Phi Alpha Delta and Moot Court
Fiorella Barreto, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Victoria Beltran, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Mira Beshay, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Kennedy M. Blevins, David Busse and Hyeja Busse Memorial Fellowship, UCLA-UCI Center for Eliminating Cardiometabolic Disparities in Multi-Ethnic Populations Pilot Project Award
Emily Boulad, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Brandon Braisher, Social Ecology Honors Program
Lizzie Braver, Advanced Field Study Program, Excellence in Field Study, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Jensine Bugelli, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Noelani Cabral, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Raquel Itzel Calderon, Advanced Field Study Program, Excellence in Field Study, Outstanding Contribution to the Community
Uriah Campos, 2023 Pacific Southwest Region University Transportation Center Undergraduate Student of the Year Award
Megan Deedee Chang, Social Ecology Honors Program
Jamie Chau, Excellence in Field Study
Xilian Chen, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Joshua Chong, Excellence in Field Study
Jake Chow, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Alma Jessica Cuevas, Social Ecology Honors Program
Angeline Cuevas, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Heather Ann Davis, Special Recognition for Multi-disciplinary Achievement
Ashlynn Desco, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Jazmin Diaz, Excellence in Field Study, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Rachel Dong, Excellence in Field Study
Dannah Elhaj, Center for Psychology and Law poster contest award
Molly Elshaer, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology, Excellence in Field Study, Latin Honors
Adrianna Fenimore, Excellence in Field Study
Sofia Areizaga Flores, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Francesca “Franch” Fong, Dynamic Womxn of the Year Award by the Womxn's Center for Success
Sophia Gabrielle Francisco, Advanced Field Study Program
Jesse Jospeh Garcia, Urban Planning and Public Policy 2024 StoryMap Challenge undergraduate award
Kristin Guadalupe Garcia, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research, Special Recognition for Multi-Disciplinary Achievement
Angelica Gavia, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Vivi Goh, Stokols Endowed Grant Award, and 2023-24 UCI Graduate Student Mentoring Award
Jazelle Gonzales, Excellence in Field Study
Stephanie Gonzalez, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Veronica “Vero” Valencia Gonzalez, Outstanding Social Justice Activist Award from UCI’s Womxn Center of Success, Graduate Student Excellence Award from UCI Latinx Resource Center
Phoenyx Greicius, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Alexia Gruszczynski, Advanced Field Study Program
Yuan Gu, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research, Social Ecology Honors Program, Special Recognition for Multi-disciplinary Achievement
Dounia Guermas, Advanced Field Study Program, Excellence in Field Study
Betty Guevara, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Lilia Lopez Guzman, Excellence in Field Study
Kaila Mei Contreras Han, Advanced Field Study Program, Excellence in Field Study
Caitlynn Herbel, Excellence in Field Study
Hugo Sanchez Hernandez, Jenessa Shapiro Graduate Research Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology
Judith Alexandra Hernandez, Social Ecology Honors Program, Excellence in Research from the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)
Kaylee Arlen Hernandez, Advanced Field Study Program, Excellence in Field Study, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
William Hernandez, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology, Social Ecology Excellence in Research Distinction, Social Ecology Honors Program, Special Recognition for Multi-disciplinary Achievement
Li Huang, Michelle Smith-Pontell Award for outstanding accomplishments in graduate study
Avery Huffer, Excellence in Field Study
Melissa Hui, Excellence in Field Study
Virginia Huscha, Special Recognition for Multi-disciplinary Achievement
Yvette Jackson, Excellence in Field Study
Tayla Jauch, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Xiaoshuang Iris Luo, Hong Lu Outstanding Student Service Award from the Association of Chinese Criminology and Criminal Justice in the United States
Camille Kamkar, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Isabella Kelly, Excellence in Field Study
Brittany Kester, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Ethan Khousavath, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Stacy Kim, Excellence in Field Study
Kristina Kleveland, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Savannah Kofman, Advanced Field Study Program, Excellence in Field Study, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Jaelyn Law, Excellence in Field Study
Sabrina Leal, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Boris Lee, Excellence in Field Study
Heather Li, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Karen Li, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research, Social Ecology Excellence in Research Distinction, Social Ecology Honors Program
Queenie Liu, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Vivian Liu, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research, Social Ecology Honors Program
Leah Lopez, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Daisy Ma, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Elysia Israel Ma, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Sophia Yung Ma, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology, Excellence in Field Study, Phi Beta Kappa Campuswide Honors Collegium, Dean’s Scholar Award
Ariana Mannani, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Ashley Marquez, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Melissa Martinez, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Jocelyn Elsie Martielli, Advanced Field Study Program, Excellence in Field Study, Outstanding Contribution to the Community
Ethan Andrew McKeon, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Inika Mehra, Excellence in Field Study
Daniel Eduardo Gonzalez Menjivar, Excellence in Field Study
Hannah Moring, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Kaitlynn Nguyen, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Patrick Nguyen, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Taylor Angelica Nguyen, Advanced Field Study Program, Outstanding Contribution to the Community
Tristina Nguyen, Excellence in Field Study
Hana Nip, Chancellor’s Award of Distinction, Law Offices of Adrienne D. Cohen Award for Excellence in Advanced Field Study, Outstanding Contribution to the Community, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research, made the Dean’s Honor List for six quarters
Andrea Elizabeth Nuno, Advanced Field Study Program
Yashada Oak, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Alek Jan Oei, Advanced Field Study Program
Joo Hyung Oh, Excellence in Field Study
Danielle Oleskiewicz, Fletcher Jones Foundation Fellowship
Isabella O’Neal, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Kylie Ornelas, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Ashley Jane Tolorio Pagador, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research in the category of Mental Health, Social Ecology Excellence in Research Distinction, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Katrina Pagdayunan, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Katherine Pappas, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Genesis Perez, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Katie Pham, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Kaylia Madison Pham, Social Ecology Honors Program, Excellence in Dance Performance, Sylvia Reines Dance Scholarship 2024
Vananh Phung, Conditional Latin Honors, Special Recognition for Excellence in Field Study, Outstanding Contribution to the Community, Advanced Field Study Program
Rhaeven Rae Delos Reyes Pillazar, Advanced Field Study Program, Excellence in Field Study, Outstanding Contribution to the Community
Anastasia Poponina, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research, Social Ecology Excellence in Research Distinction, Social Ecology Honors Program
Nalani Portillo, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Anna Potratz, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Cassius Quarles, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Yamileth Partida Reyes, graduated cum laude in both criminology, law & society and sociology
Eli Lopez Rodriguez, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Nancy Roque, Excellence in Field Study
Alexander Ruiz, Dean’s Award for Exceptional Achievement in Field Study, Phi Beta Kappa Book Award
Archita Samavedula, Excellence in Field Study
Angie Sanchez, Excellence in Field Study, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Joelle Sawa, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Cherry Seok, Advanced Field Study Program, Excellence in Field Study, Special Recognition for Multi-disciplinary Achievement
Andrea Serrano, Chicano/Latino Studies award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student Researcher, Chicano/Latino Studies Graduate Studies Scholarship
Ghazal Shamshiri, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Tristan Sodkomkum, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Soroya Soleimani, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Hannah Son, Excellence in Field Study, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Samantha Stone, Excellence in Field Study
Andrea Sustaita, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Koko Julia Suzuki, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research, Social Ecology Honors Program, Latin Honors
Leo Tahmasebian, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Mimi Tang, Special Recognition for Multi-disciplinary Achievement
Zo Ta-Perez, Excellence in Field Study
Emily Thompson, Excellence in Field Study
Roph Tom, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Susie Torosian, Advanced Field Study Program, Excellence in Field Study, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Amelie Tran, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Kathleen Vu Tran, Advanced Field Study Program, Excellence in Field Study, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Lilian Bao Thy Tran, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Kaiya Tien Trinh, Advanced Field Study Program, Excellence in Field Study, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Diana Trujillo, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Angelica Flores Valdivia, Outstanding Contribution to the Community, Social Ecology Excellence in Field Study, Law Offices of Adriene D. Cohen Excellence in Field Study Award, Chicano/Latino Studies Certificate of Excellence
Jessica Verduzco, Advanced Field Study Program, Excellence in Field Study, Outstanding Contribution to the Community
Kayla Villon, Excellence in Field Study
Vivian Wei, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Dylan Wen, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Sabrina Juliana Whitehead, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research, Social Ecology Honors Program
Bianca Yanez, Excellence in Field Study
Yuuri Yoshikawa, Excellence in Field Study
Alexis Young, Excellence in Field Study
Bella Yu, Advanced Field Study Program, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Samantha Yumusak, Outstanding Contribution to the School of Social Ecology
Melanie Zepeda, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research
Ashley Zieper, Exceptional Achievement in Undergraduate Research

In addition, this year’s Chancellor’s Award of Distinction recipients are: Fiorella Maria Barreto, Sawsan Malek Dibseh, Frances Hernandez, Addy Janssen, Brittany Michelle Kester, Amber Zhixin Liang, Beatriz Lopez Galeana, Hana Nip and Yifei Zhang.

Among the graduates were 23 participants of the LIFTED program. They graduated June 20 in the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.

And, the Orange County Young Adult Court, which was co-founded by Elizabeth Cauffman, professor of psychological science, graduated its 32nd, 33rd, 34th and 35th participants on June 21.

Most of this year’s newly-minted doctoral graduates have already landed positions nationwide. They include:

Kennedy M. Blevins, psychological science Ph.D., will be doing a postdoctoral fellowship as part of the Training in Research in Integrative Medicine Program at the University of California, San Francisco. As a TRIM Fellow, she will be investigating the applicability and scalability of contemplative practices as mental and physical health interventions.
Yongwon Cho, psychological science Ph.D., has been appointed assistant professor at Georgia Southwestern State University in the Department of Psychology and Sociology.
Vivi Goh, social ecology Ph.D., received funding from the California Air Resources Board to expand her dissertation research on urban agriculture throughout the state and will start a research specialist position at UCI this fall. She will be working with her mentor Karen Wong, assistant professor of teaching in urban planning and public policy.
Veronica Valencia Gonzalez, criminology, law and society Ph.D., is joining the University of South Carolina as a research assistant professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Hugo Sanchez Hernandez, psychological science Ph.D., is heading to UCLA on a postdoctoral fellowship with the NIMH T32 Biobehavioral Issues in Mental and Physical Health Program where he’ll continue developing and applying basic theories and research in psychology to issues of physical and mental health and their interrelationship.
Li Huang, criminology, law and society Ph.D., landed a tenure-track assistant professor position with the Department of Criminal Justice, Criminology & Forensics at Seattle University.
Danielle Oleskiewicz, psychological science Ph.D., is starting as research data specialist with the California Department of Aging.
Manny Preciado, urban planning and public policy Ph.D., will be an assistant teaching professor of urban planning at Northern Arizona University.

— Story by Matt Coker and Mimi Ko Cruz. Video by Han Parker